The Mo Clan is one of the aristocratic families of Mu Yunzhou, with an ancient lineage and exceptionally deep foundations. In terms of strength, it is second only to the Four Great Sects, and can truly be called formidable. Their clan residence is located within Yunhai City, and the entire region within a radius of seven hundred li around the city is Mo Clan territory.
For quite a long time, even the Four Great Sects led by the Lingjian Sect could only exert limited influence over the Mo Clan. Due to favors granted by previous generations, the Lingjian Sect is considered the upper sect worshipped by the Mo Clan. But times have changed, and today’s Mo Clan is no longer the small clan tucked away in a corner of Yunhai City a hundred years ago.
Now, although the clan head Mo Xulin still abides by tradition and honors the Lingjian Sect as supreme, he cannot restrain the ambitions of the branch families and elders.
In recent years, the influence of the Yueying Sect, White Feather Sect, and Ghost Soul Sect has also infiltrated the Mo Clan with the help of inside agents. One could say that the Mo Clan has now become the battleground for the Four Great Sects in Mu Yunzhou.
It is precisely because of this that the martial competition to choose a husband for the Mo Clan Third Young Lady has attracted attention from many sides. Today, Yunhai City appears lively and bustling on the surface, but underneath, hidden currents are surging.
Several spirit boats slowly made their way toward the Mo Mansion at the center of Yunhai City. The largest of these bore a flag emblazoned with a deep blue Ling Sword, stately and imposing—naturally belonging to the Lingjian Sect.
Meanwhile, the Yueying Sect, also one of the Four Great Sects, had sent only a small, delicate flying spirit boat, which could accommodate just three or four people.
“Junior Sister Mo, since your family has been close with the Lingjian Sect for generations, why did you join the Yueying Sect instead of the Lingjian Sect in the first place?” A refined “youth” in white robes asked gently, their stunning snow-white hair especially eye-catching under the radiant light.
“Senior Brother Su… Actually, I snuck out of the house. My father never thought highly of me, only letting a few elders of other surnames teach me cultivation, and forbidding me from joining any of the Four Great Sects. The Lingjian Sect and White Feather Sect both have deep ties with the Mo Clan. If Father came to demand my return, they would surely hand me over without question. So, the only real options I had were the Yueying Sect or the Ghost Soul Sect.”
At this point, Mo Xiaonian paused, then softly said to the charming “young man,” “Back when I was in the Mo Clan, I deeply admired the Honglian Saintess, and regarded her as my lifelong idol. That’s why I came to the Yueying Sect.”
The young girl in green gripped her skirt tightly, her fair cheeks flushing like peach blossoms in spring, and her head drooped a little in shyness.
At this moment, another youth in black suddenly spoke up. “The Su Saintess is unmatched in talent and is the number one beauty of Mu Yunzhou. To admire her is only natural.”
With that, Gu Shenzhi quietly circled around to Su Linghuang’s side, trying to reach out and smooth a stray lock of her drifting snow-white hair.
Unexpectedly, he was struck away by her sword hilt. Su Linghuang, dressed in men’s attire, hugged her sword and said coolly, “Junior Sister Mo admires the Honglian Saintess for her talent. As for you? You’re just lusting after her body, aren’t you?”
“That’s not it. I mainly appreciate the inner beauty of the Su Saintess. Of course, her body is also a part of it.”
Taking advantage of the Honglian Saintess’s lack of vigilance, Gu Shenzhi reached out to embrace her slender, graceful waist, pulling the beauty into his arms.
“Let go of me! Who said you could hug me!” Su Linghuang struggled at once, her resistance only slightly stronger than symbolic, but at least her words and actions matched.
This was already the third time they’d flirted and bickered along the way. Don’t be fooled by the Su Saintess’s stubborn front; before long, she would melt in Gu Shenzhi’s arms like jade mud, letting him have his way.
Watching the sensual and intimate scene, Mo Xiaonian wisely stepped two paces aside, giving the pair enough space to move.
Once the girl’s struggles subsided, Gu Shenzhi leaned down and gently took her delicate earlobe between his lips, carefully controlling the force of his kiss.
Although Su Linghuang believed the “cold war” between them was still ongoing, in reality their relationship had eased a lot. At the very least, she no longer felt particularly repulsed by Gu Shenzhi’s actions.
As the spirit boat slowly descended, the group finally arrived at the Mo Mansion.
No sooner had the three stepped off the spirit boat than several Mo Mansion guards, who had been waiting for some time, hurried over, dropping to one knee and respectfully saying, “By order of the clan head, we await the Third Young Lady’s return.”
“I can handle my own affairs. There’s no need for him to send people to drag me back!” Mo Xiaonian said angrily.
If it was just a simple welcome, a maid would have sufficed. Was it really necessary to make such a show and dispatch nine Jiedan Realm mid-stage cultivators? This was already the elite among the Mo Clan’s ordinary guards.
However, the guards did not step aside. Instead, they released the pressure of the Jiedan Realm, forming a wall of spiritual power to block Mo Xiaonian’s path.
“Third Young Lady, the clan head has ordered us to bring you before him, no matter what. We hope you will cooperate and not make things difficult for us, or don’t blame us for using force,” one guard said with a false smile.
But before he could do anything, the white-robed “young master” behind Mo Xiaonian kicked him to the ground. Then, with just a few moves, Su Linghuang, sword sheath in hand, knocked all nine Jiedan guards to the ground, leaving them unable to get up.
“Mo Xiaonian is your Mo Clan’s Third Young Lady, but she’s also an Inner Sect Disciple of my Yueying Sect. Who she leaves with is up to her!”
Su Linghuang returned her sword sheath to her waist and looked down at the fallen guards with disdain, speaking bluntly.
The Honglian Saintess would never allow anyone to insult the Yueying Sect, nor would she stand by and watch a fellow disciple be bullied.
By injuring the guards right at the Mo Clan’s residence, the Honglian Saintess immediately drew a crowd of onlookers. Some even considered capturing this troublemaker as a gift for the Mo Clan.
However, when they met Su Linghuang’s blood-red gaze, not a single one dared to step forward. The blade-like killing intent coiled tightly around their necks, as if in the next moment their heads would fly from their shoulders.
“Move aside!” Su Linghuang drew her Ling Sword, a murderous sword aura soaring skyward, enough to make anyone tremble with fear at the sight.
Yet, the sword in the girl’s hand was not the dark red [Xiehuang], but the pale purple [Falling Plum].
To prevent someone from using a sect mission as an excuse to steal her away, she had deliberately swapped swords with Gu Shenzhi before setting out, and decided to go in his stead to attend Mo Xiaonian’s martial competition for a husband.
Gu Shenzhi had agreed without hesitation, since his true purpose here wasn’t Mo Xiaonian’s competition, but rather the Sword One Fragmented Formula: Heaven and Earth Chapter stored in the Mo Family Auction Main Branch’s treasury.
He believed the Honglian Saintess would surely bring a shock to everyone on the stage for the Yueying Sect. Lin Kunku was dead, Ye Lingying had long since gone missing, and as for Nangong Yu, being a woman herself, as long as she didn’t try the cross-dressing act, Huang’er was sure to win.
Just as Gu Shenzhi was thinking this, a refined “young master” carrying a folding fan stepped out from the crowd. With a flick of the fan, which was painted with the Chunshuishanju Painting, he spoke sternly, “Brazen demonic scoundrel, the Mo Mansion is not a place for the likes of you to run wild.”